Organics

This article presents results on the use of a new material as a solidifying agent and/or color-fixing agent. A special polysaccharide material extracted from the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) was tested on historical materials and modern papers. An old book from the 18th century was chosen as historical material. From the mentioned book 42 pages were taken, on which a conservation and restoration pretreatment was performed before applying the polysaccharide material: sampling, fiber analysis, dry cleaning, ink solubility, pH test, thickness measurement and wet cleaning. The paper sheets provided for the test were divided into 4 groups, 3 of which were treated with gel and one left untreated as a reference. The division into groups is not only due to the different method of application, but also due to the process of gel extraction. The effect of the treatment was analyzed using FTIR-ATR. To test the mucilage as color-fixing agent 2 samples were prepared using watercolor papers colored with 6 different watercolors applied to 2.5 cm² samples for each color in two rows of different intensity. One of the 2 samples was treated with gel, but both were immersed for 3 times in a water-ethanol solution for approximately 20 min as is standard practice in conservation and restoration. After washing, both specimens were subjected to colorimetric analysis to assess their differences. The results provided satisfactory evidence for the protection of paints sensitive to aqueous treatments and suggest the use of mucilage as a new material in cleaning method for water-soluble media. Full article

In this report, the catalytic potential of chalcogen-stabilized iron carbonyl clusters [Fe₃E₂(CO)₉ (E = S, Se, Te)] for the photolytic hydration of alkynes has been explored. The iron chalcogenide clusters bring excellent transformations of terminal and internal alkynes to their respective keto products in just 25 min photolysis at −5 °C in inert free and aqueous conditions. After the completion of the reaction, the product can be extracted from organic solvent, and due to the lower solubility of the catalyst in water, it can also be isolated and further reused several times prior to any activation. The catalyst was also found to be active in thermal conditions and bring about the desired transformations with average to good catalytic efficiency. Moreover, during the thermal reaction, the catalyst decomposed and formed the nanoparticles of iron selenides, which worked as a single-source precursor for FeSe nanomaterials. The presented photolysis methodology was found to be most feasible, economical, instantly produce the desired product, and work for a wide range of internal and terminal alkynes; hence, all these features made this method superior to the other reported ones. This report also serves as the first catalytic report of chalcogen-stabilized iron carbonyl clusters for alkyne hydrations. Full article

Organic molecules are gaining special attention over the last years in the corrosion area thanks to their general low achievable cytotoxicity, structural versatility, and environmentally friendly obtainment methods. Under those approaches, synthetic organic motifs have attracted the interest of researchers due to their variated methods of obtention through molecular manipulation via diverse chemical reactions, allowing the production of adequately planned structures or repurposing their original application in the case of drugs. This review summarizes general aspects that are desired in organic molecules as corrosion inhibitors, presenting selected works published in the 2022–2023 period and emphasizing the importance of finding novel and different organic corrosion inhibitors. Patents were not considered in this review. Scifinder, Google Scholar, and Web of Science were employed as databases. Mathematical and analytical methods involved in the search for corrosion inhibitors are out of this review’s scope. Full article

Molecules with tuneable properties are well known for their applications in the material and bio-medical fields; nevertheless, the structural and functional tunability makes them more significant in diverse applications. Herein, we designed and synthesized a novel class of star-shaped molecules via incorporating two important functional groups, i.e., triazole and dithiocarbamate (DTC). The rationale behind selecting these two key functional groups is their diverse applications, e.g., DTC having applications for therapeutics, pesticides, and vulcanizing agents, and triazole having applications for anti-cancer, fungicides, anti-microbials, inhibitors, etc. The structure of the molecules was strategically designed in such a way that their overall structures are the same (central tertiary-amine and peripheral hydroxy groups), except the key functional group (DTC and triazole) in the respective molecules was different. Following synthesis and characterization, the influence of DTC and triazole groups on their bioactivity was compared via interacting with the most abundant proteins present in the blood, including serum albumin, trypsin, haemoglobin, and ribonuclease. From both the experimental and molecular docking studies, it was confirmed that the triazole molecule has a higher binding affinity towards these proteins as compared to the DTC molecule. In summary, two star-shaped DTC- and triazole-based molecules were synthesized and their bioactivity was compared via binding with blood plasma proteins. Full article

(E)-1-aryl-2,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)but-1-en-3-ynes readily undergo protodesilylation and subsequent aerobic, copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling with aryl halides to form (E)-1,4-diaryl-2-(trimethylsilyl)but-1-en-3-ynes. The proposed one-pot, two-step approach allows access to the isomers containing aryl substituents in mutual syn positions. The resulting 2-silyl enynes can be further converted by proto- or halodesilylation. Full article

[1.1.1]Propellane, a compound whose structure includes two saturated carbons in which all four bonds are directed into a single hemisphere, is of theoretical interest, but has also seen recent practical applications. Mono-, di-, and trisubstituted derivatives of this propellane (by substitution of its CH₂ bridges with O, S, NH, CF₂, CO, SO, and SO₂) remain unknown despite several computational studies that have suggested some may be stable. In this study, we show that, in several cases, substituted propellanes are spontaneously formed upon the attempted computational optimization of the geometries of anionic bridgehead bromide precursors using the ωB97X-D/aug-cc-pVDZ DFT method. Spontaneous formation suggests that these propellanes are at lower energy relative to the precursors and, therefore, are promising synthetic targets. The success or failure to spontaneously form the propellane is considered in relation to the length and strain energy of the central bridgehead-bridgehead bond, as well as the total strain energy of each propellane. Full article

We describe a novel two-step approach for the synthesis of compounds with a hydroxyl-amide group (hydroxamic acids), which are widely known for their biological activity (histone deacetylase inhibitors, matrix metalloproteinases inhibitors and others). The first stage is the synthesis of N-substituted succinimide via the reaction of aromatic amine or carboxylic acid hydrazide with succinic anhydride. The second step involves the imide ring opening reaction by hydroxylamine. For both stages, universal synthetic methods are developed to exclude additional purification procedures for the target compounds. Sixteen hydroxamic acids are synthesized using the developed approach. Most of the compounds are obtained for the first time. Full article

Sulfoxides and sulfinamides play important roles in the pharmaceutical industry, organic synthesis and fine chemicals. This review will demonstrate that, under catalysis by transition metals, β-sulfinyl esters, as nucleophilic reagents, react with a variety of electrophilic reagents to produce sulfoxides and sulfinamides. The important prospect of the asymmetric catalytic synthesis of chiral sulfur-containing molecules in this field is described. Full article

The photochemical reaction of N-methyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (MeTAD) with benzene is known to lead to a Diels–Alder cycloaddition product when conducted at low temperatures (i.e., <−60 °C). This reactivity has been exploited recently for novel synthetic applications. It was previously reported that no reaction between MeTAD and benzene occurs at room temperature. However, it has now been discovered that MeTAD reacts effectively with benzene upon visible light irradiation over a several day period at room temperature. The major product is a para-substituted bisurazole adduct. Our studies indicate that the adduct is formed via sequential aromatic substitution reactions made possible by electron transfer from the aromatic ring to the highly electrophilic triplet state of photoactivated MeTAD. Full article

The Nenitzescu reaction is a condensation reaction between an enamine and a quinone, which can give rise to a wide variety of reaction products depending on the nature of the starting material and the reaction conditions. The most commonly observed products are 5-hydroxyindoles and 5-hydroxybenzofurans. Both classes are of interest since they are known to possess a variety of promising bioactivities. Despite the high chemodivergency for this reaction, it remains an interesting synthetic strategy thanks to the mild reaction conditions, easily accessible starting materials and simple reaction procedures. For these reasons, our research group investigated the Nenitzescu reaction of piperazinone enaminoesters, resulting in the unexpected formation of rearranged 2-imidazolidinone benzofurans. In this work, we aimed to develop reaction conditions that favor the formation of 5-hydroxyindoles via an extensive, multivariate optimization study. This led to valuable insights into the parameters that influence regio- and chemoselectivity. Furthermore, two novel products were obtained, a pyrrolo[2,3-f]indole and a benzofuranone, both of which are rarely reported in the literature. Full article

A new rapid iodination reagent, N¹,N³,N⁵-tris[(2,4,6-trimethylpyridine)iodo(I)]-2,4,6-triphenyl-s-triazine trihexafluorophosphate, was synthesized in a modification of the established synthesis of 2,4,6-triiodo-3,5-dimethylphenol in the presence of bis(2,4,6-trimethylpyridine)iodo(I) hexafluorophosphate and used for the precise post-modification of mono- and trisubstituted phenyl compounds. We performed triple iodinations with our new phenyl-based compounds as a proof of principle of selected types of phenols, ß-sympatholytic agents and their spin-labeled derivatives, which can be employed in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The new rapid iodination reagent can be employed with high reactivity and regioselectivity. Full article

In the present work, we report a simple synthetic strategy for fabricating ZnCuInS/ZnS–TPPS₄ conjugates and study its cytotoxicity as a promising material for imaging and phototherapy applications. The quaternary QDs were synthesized using eco-friendly materials such as glutathione and water as a solvent, while the anionic 10,15,20-(4-sulphonatophenyl) porphyrin (TPPS₄) was synthesized via the acidification of a meso-tetraphenylporphyrin precursor. Interest in TPPS₄ results from its high-water dispersity, stability, and ability to generate singlet oxygen. Conjugation of ZnCuInS/ZnS QDs with TPPS₄ was performed by titrating porphyrin with different amounts of ZnCuInS/ZnS QDs while keeping all other experimental parameters constant. Comparative analysis of the conjugate to the bare QDs and porphyrin revealed enhanced spectral and photophysical properties. Comparative cytotoxicity assays were performed for TPPS₄ and ZnCuInS/ZnS–TPPS₄ conjugates in BHK21, Hela, A549, Hek 293 and B16-F10 Nex 2 cell lines using the MTT cell viability assay. The results showed negligible in vitro cytotoxicity indicating the conjugate is an excellent and biocompatible candidate for imaging and phototherapy applications. Full article

Cardanol, a waste from the food industry and widely produced (1 Mt/y), has been used as a chain stopper during the polycondensation of short oil alkyd resins in order to replace benzoic acid. Then, phosphorylated cardanol has been added in order to both reduce solvent content and bring flame-retardant (FR) properties to the alkyd resins. The renewable carbon content of the formulations has been increased up to 23%. The impact of the introduction of phosphorylated cardanol molecules on the drying time and flexibility has been studied as well as the thermal and flame-retardant properties by differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric analysis and pyrolysis-combustion flow calorimeter. The most effective flame-retardant coating that was associated with excellent FR properties and excellent coating properties has been obtained with phosphate-cardanol added at 2%wt of P. Indeed, the film properties were closed to the classical alkyd resin, the solvent content was reduced by 50% and the pHRR decreased by 42% compared to the reference alkyd resin. Full article

Here, we present a synthesis of three novel conjugated block-copolymers (BCP) with general formula P3HT-bridge-TBO, where P3HT is a poly(3-hexyl)thiophene, TBO is a thiophene-benzothiadiazole block, and the bridge is composed of two fluorene units (FF) or two thiophenes (TT) or a mixture (TF). It is demonstrated that the physicochemical properties of the materials with different bridges are similar. Furthermore, P3HT-bridge-TBO materials are investigated in PSCs with classical n-i-p configuration for the first time. PSCs with BCPs reach average efficiencies with a top of 14.4% for P3HT-FF-TBO. At the same time, devices demonstrate spectacular long-term operation stability after 1000 h under constant illumination with minor changes in efficiency, while PSCs with state-of-the-art hole-transport layer demonstrate unstable behavior. This groundbreaking work demonstrates the potential of BCP to ensure the stable operation of perovskite photovoltaics. Full article

Thia-Michael reactions between aliphatic and aromatic thiols and various Michael acceptors were performed under environmentally-friendly solvent-free conditions using Amberlyst^® A21 as a recyclable heterogeneous catalyst to efficiently obtain the corresponding adducts in high yields. Ethyl acrylate was the main acceptor used, although others such as acrylamide, linear, and cyclic enones were also utilized successfully. Bifunctional Michael donor, 3-mercaptopropanoic acid, positively furnished the product, albeit in a lower yield and after leaving the reaction to take place for a longer time. The catalyst was easy and safe to handle and successfully recycled for five consecutive cycles. Full article

We have realized a Pd-catalyzed ring-opening of diazabicyclic olefins with 4-halo-1,3-dicarbonyl compounds. This reaction resulted in the formation of 3(2H)-furanone-appended hydrazino cyclopentenes. The reaction proceeds via the formation of a π-allylpalladium intermediate which is attacked by the active methylene species, and an intramolecular nucleophilic substitution in the 4-halo-1,3-dicarbonyl moiety furnishes the 3(2H)-furanone-substituted cyclopentene. We could extend this methodology to cyclopropane-appended spirotricyclic olefin for synthesizing 3(2H)-furanone-substituted spiro[2.4]hept-5-ene. Full article

A series of seven O-ethyl-N-butylphenylphosphonamidates with benzyl ether substituents at the para or meta position have been prepared and fully characterised. Upon treatment with n-butyllithium in THF at RT, these undergo Wittig rearrangement in six cases to give the novel phosphonamidate-substituted diarylmethanols in moderate to good yield. Full article

The ability to synthesize arrays of related compounds quickly and with good purity has become critical for a rapid exploration of their properties for biological or material applications. While a number of methods have been developed to enable this combinatorial synthesis, the existing options were not readily appliable to the synthesis of aurones using the simple Knoevenagel condensation approach. In order to avoid the time, expense, and lowered yields associated with flash column chromatography, we developed a scavenging approach for their synthesis. This method uses an excess of aldehyde to ensure complete conversion to aurones, followed by selective removal of the remaining aldehyde using a simple, inexpensive scavenger – isoniazid – and subsequent extraction with dilute acid, to produce the desired compounds with good purity under operationally simple conditions. This approach is expected to be applicable to many other reactions involving aldehydes as one of the reactants. Full article